With the onset of the economic crisis, trips to economy class stores, where familiar categories of goods can be purchased at a lower price, have become especially relevant for Russians. One of the popular retail formats is fixed-price stores, and the most prominent representative of the niche is, of course, the Fix Price chain. Here they sell soap bubbles and balls, bath curtains and carnival masks, candles, alcohol, socks, underwear, cookies and much, much more - the Fix Price range is wide and more than diverse.

The chain opened in Russia in 2007, and at that time stores offered goods not for 50 rubles, as today, but for 36 - at that time the dollar exchange rate was at 25 rubles, and the euro cost about 35 rubles. According to legend, in the store you can find quality goods at an affordable price, which have been carefully selected. At the same time, many are sure that Fix Price offers only second-rate rubbish, and the regular customers of such stores are marginalized or pensioners. However, this is not so: among fashionable and wealthy citizens there are also enough people who like to rummage through the Fix Price assortment. The Village caught up with some of the chain's regular customers and talked to them about savings, unusual purchases and incidents in the checkout line.

Ksenia, 21 years old

Recently there was a man standing in line with me, who simply begged to be let ahead, so he can get over his hang quickly

I try to save money on household items, so I often go to Fix Price. I buy dishes and hangers here, and sometimes office supplies. Sometimes I just come to look at some unusual things.

I work as an animator and spend a lot of my personal money on props for children's workshops. Take, for example, colored paper - it is much more profitable to take it at Fix Price for 50 rubles than in another store for three times more expensive.
It's the same story with balloons: there are a lot of them and they're cheap.

I also take a few small things for myself. I once bought a breakfast bowl from Fix Price - I still eat porridge from it. Sometimes I forget my headphones at home, and then I buy them here for 50 rubles. Yes, they are short-lived and will break after some time, but they still help out. One of these headphones lived with me for almost three weeks - I was lucky. But in general, I don’t really count on the durability of things from Fix Price. On the one hand, it can be a shame - balloons for 50 rubles are of such low quality that they burst in your hands when you inflate them. On the other hand, it’s stupid to count on something of high quality for that kind of money.

I am an emotional person and often buy something just to lift my spirits. The last time I was here, I bought some strange mask with rhinestones and a huge nose.

I like it when everything you need is sold in one place and you don’t have to run around to a thousand and one stores, and even overpay. I don’t like economy class supermarkets, all sorts of “Dixie” or “Verny” - it’s quiet horror. You go there and it seems that they are offering you already used things. But here there is no such disorder - everywhere is clean and tidy.

Different people come to Fix Price. There are a lot of respectable-looking customers who drop by for some little thing. Well, all sorts of marginalized people often come in with drunks. Recently, there was a man standing in line with me who simply begged to be let ahead so that he could quickly recover his hangover.

Vladimir, 48 years old

works at a construction site

I am a regular customer of Fix Price. I often look here when I return from work: it’s very convenient to come in, grab what you need, and go home. Most often I go to the one that is closer to home, and I live in Vykhino. I mainly buy groceries - beer, for example. By the way, I just bought two liters of beer for almost nothing - 50 rubles a bottle. Normal beer! And one day my friend and I took a one and a half liter bottle of soda. Tasty and cheap. Well, at least it's edible.

What I love most is shopping here for groceries. I take cottage cheese, beans, ketchup, sugar, this, that, fifth, tenth - and it turns out much cheaper than in other stores. I only buy for myself because I live alone. I also often go to Pyaterochka, Ataka and Magnit - I buy meat there. It’s a pity that Fix Price doesn’t have a meat department.

I rarely buy clothes and mostly from the Ridiculous Prices store - it’s also inexpensive. Fix Price doesn't carry my sizes. But I buy socks, T-shirts or slippers here. And, what’s important, I was never disappointed in the quality - everything was done very well. I have never received a damaged or expired product.

In fact, at Fix Price you meet all sorts of people - I see few pensioners, but a lot of young people. Of course, the store is designed for low-income people, so alcoholics often come in. Well, what - I went in, took something cheaper, and drank.

Katya, 27 years old

I am a young mother and part-time housewife and video blogger. At the age of 21, I graduated from college with a diploma in jewelry, and since then I have worked in a variety of places. Now I’m sitting at home with my one-year-old son Kolya, and my beloved husband provides for the family.

At Fix Price, I like the idea itself - to collect in one place a lot of different products at an affordable price. I agree that some of the items sold here are available elsewhere and perhaps even cheaper. But the main feature of Fix Price is that everything can be found in one place.

Sometimes the store does not offer all the products that are on the website. But the assortment is often updated and you can always find something new and interesting. A huge plus of Fix Price is seasonal updates and themed holiday products for March 8, Valentine's Day or, say, Easter. I constantly monitor promotions and discounts. Moreover, I have a discount card, and shopping with it is very profitable.

At Fix Price you can find both high-quality and not-so-high-quality goods, so I don’t buy every item here. This is, for example, textiles or even small electrical appliances. Sometimes I take skincare products, something for handicrafts and toys for our Yorkshire terrier. And most of all I like to buy children's toys for my son and goods for creativity and decoration for myself.

Of course, there were also disappointments. I remember that for Easter I bought colored chickens, which, as it turned out, smelled very strongly of paint. Around the same time, I wasted money on shampoo, which did not please me at all.
But there were also successful discoveries. In addition, if you compare the quality and price of goods in Fix Price with goods from other stores, the benefits are obvious. For example, lighting fixtures at Fix Price are much cheaper and no worse than their expensive counterparts - I recently bought an excellent small light bulb for my closet there. I believe that a quality product does not always have to be expensive, you just need to be more careful in your choice.

I have my own channel on YouTube, where I also publish video reviews of products from Fix Price. I started video blogging when my son was four months old. I make videos about child development, bargain shopping and simple recipes. But the most views are collected by reviews of purchases from Fix Price.

I shop at Fix Price all the time - probably for seven years now. Sometimes I come here several times a week - because I need one thing or another. I also have a discount card: I bought it for 50 rubles and now I’m accumulating points to receive free goods. In general, there are few stores in the Baumanskaya area, especially with such low prices, so I only go here and to Pyaterochka, and sometimes I also go to Auchan. I think this store is the most popular in the area. It’s always full of people: pensioners, young people - there’s nowhere else to shop.

Some goods are sold here for almost nothing - especially compared to other stores. For example, pillowcases cost only 50 rubles, while in Auchan they cost 200–250 rubles. Or a wooden board - only 99 rubles, but at Auchan the exact same one costs 250 rubles, they even have the same pattern! Apparently they take it from one warehouse. People go to Auchan and think that this is the cheapest store, but this is not the case at all.

I usually go to Fix Price for something specific. Now I came to buy insoles for my grandson, but mostly I take various household items: dishes, mops, flowers for the cemetery - in general, everything that is needed in everyday life. If I notice new items, I always stop and look: what if I come across something interesting? But I never buy groceries here, I’m afraid. Sometimes I can only buy cookies. Nowadays you can come across spoiled products in regular stores, let alone this one.

There's a problem with clothes. Fix Price mainly sells children's clothes - well, maybe some socks. At Auchan the choice is also small, but everything there is sports: jackets, shorts, T-shirts. There used to be a good store with inexpensive clothes near my house, but it was liquidated. So for now I wear what I have. And when the need for new things arises, I’ll go to some market in the Moscow region - they say there’s something like Cherkizon there.

All products at Fix Price are of good quality. Only once did I have an unpleasant experience when I bought beautiful metal hangers, and they soon fell apart because they were held together with glue. The most memorable purchase was adhesive posters. I bought several at once. I pasted one, with sunflowers, in the kitchen, and the other, with dolphins, in the bathroom, where our wall was cracked (I live in a communal apartment in a dilapidated building). There is so much moisture in the bathroom, but the poster still hangs - it’s immediately obvious that it’s a foreign product, ours won’t invent something like that. All the neighbors walk around and admire these dolphins and palm trees on the poster, and I’m happy too. Life is hard and hopeless now, but when I buy something here, I forget about my troubles for a while and enjoy it.

Fix Price stores appeared in the lives of Russians later than other modern retail formats that came from the West. Nowadays, general-price goods sell well both in the regions and in the capital, and sometimes chain stores of a similar format even coexist with fashion boutiques. The question is how they manage to develop safely during a crisis.

The main thing is customer orientation. Typical buyers of such stores are people with below average incomes. An ordinary Fix Price buyer earns 10–30 thousand rubles a month. Here he buys mainly household and household goods. At the same time, edible goods make up about 20% of the Fix Price assortment.

The main secret to the profitability of stores like Fix Price is purchasing in bulk and purchasing products that are not in demand elsewhere. Together, these factors make it possible to keep product costs at a minimum level. It turns out that prices can be raised more slowly than the rate of the national currency decreases.

It is important to understand that the largest markup is on household goods made in China. Cooking spatulas, dustpans and fly swatters, which have a low cost price, are sold at retail for almost one dollar, and they are also among the most purchased.

Pavel Mikhailov

Candidate of Economic Sciences, head of the marketing studio “Business-M807.ru”, expert in research, marketing, planning and forecasting

On the one hand, a marketing ploy of selling goods at one price may seem convenient for the consumer. In this case, it’s easier to count and there’s no need to remember prices. In essence, Fix Price stores offer products that are either sold at a set fixed price or combined so that the whole set corresponds to a fixed price. And this format creates the illusion of cheapness for the consumer.

The idea of ​​selling different goods at the same prices is not new and has been successfully used for many years in developed countries. The model has been worked out to the smallest detail - from choosing the optimal store area and conditions for its location to logistics and assortment selection. Thus, when purchasing a Fix Price franchise, you must meet, among others, the following requirements: a retail area of ​​250 square meters, located in a crowded place and near transport hubs, as well as delivery of goods from one distribution center.

The assortment of the Fix Price network consists mainly of household goods, household chemicals, cosmetics and food, that is, consumables or disposable goods with a limited service life that allow you to satisfy current household needs. Brands are not particularly important here, and affordable prices stimulate demand. At the same time, the margin in the Fix Price network is higher among the most popular goods - both due to turnover and due to the rounding of prices up to a fixed price.

In addition, products in the Fix Price network are often distinguished by their originality, unusual solutions and contain some kind of zest that increases their ease of use. This makes such products unique and also stimulates visiting interest. As a result, buyers often make spontaneous purchases.

Alexey Kuzmin

Analyst at IC "Okay Broker"

The first store of our network opened in December 2007, and today we operate about 2,100 points in more than 600 settlements of the country. The main idea of ​​the project is to offer the buyer a wide range of household goods for the whole family at a low fixed price, currently it is 50 rubles. In addition, we have expanded our assortment with products whose cost is lower than the base price.

The assortment of the Fix Price network includes 2 thousand items. These are food products, household chemicals, stationery and pet products - this is not the entire list. Our most popular product categories are food and household goods. Low margins give us the opportunity to make better offers for our customers.

The main target audience of Fix Price stores is women. But we also have something to offer men: products for cars and tools, for example.

Since the beginning of 2016, anyone can buy a bonus card at the checkout, which provides a number of advantages. Firstly, when making purchases, 5% of the receipt amount accumulates on the card in the form of points, and one ruble is equal to one point. You can later use points to pay for part of the purchase. And secondly, loyalty program participants have the opportunity to participate in prize drawings, among which the main prize is a car.

Irina Kuznetsova

representative of the Fix Price network

photos: Ivan Anisimov

In this article we will talk to you about fixed price stores. After reading it, you will learn what a fixed price is, why such stores are interesting for you, what their advantages and disadvantages are, which products are worth buying there and which are not, and a lot of other information on this topic. I think this should be interesting and useful.

So, fix price stores appeared relatively recently, and since their inception this line of business has been developing rapidly, both the number and scale of such outlets are growing. What it is?

What is a fixed price?

Fixed price – these are stores with the same fixed price for all goods. For example, “all at 99”, “all at 77”, “all at 555”, etc. Surely, you have already come across such stores many times, and perhaps you have made purchases in them, not knowing what they are called correctly.

Fixed price stores work approximately according to the following principle: they purchase different goods in a certain price range at different prices, calculate the weighted average cost per unit of goods, add their own trade margin there and thus set a single price for all products. Moreover, the price range of purchased goods is selected so that the final fix price turns out to be a clear, specific number (for example, 99, 100, 50, 500, 300, 777, etc.).

If we take the breakdown of goods, then fixed price stores can sell some of them even at a loss - below the purchase price, while at the same time making a profit due to the general assortment. And this is the moment that you and I, as buyers, can use to save personal finances.

In fixed price stores you can buy some goods cheaper than their purchase price and, accordingly, cheaper than their prices in other stores - this is an excellent opportunity to save your personal or family budget.

Fixed price store products.

What is sold in fix price stores? There are 3 main directions:

1. “Everything for the home” – various kinds of household items.
2. Clothes, shoes.
3. Products.

Most often you can find fixed price stores in the first direction (all sorts of household items), less often in the second (clothing) and even less often in the third (groceries).

There is an opinion that all goods in fix price stores are of low quality. It's a delusion. The quality of goods can vary, largely depending on the fixed cost - it is not necessarily very low. And for each cost there is its own category of goods.

If we talk about “everything for the home” fixed price stores, then you can easily buy various small utensils there cheaper than in other retail outlets: soap, powders, detergents, garbage bags, toilet paper, toothpaste, kitchen utensils, simple toys and goods for children, etc.

It is more difficult to navigate in fix price clothing stores, because it is more difficult to determine how profitable the price of a particular product is (it may simply turn out that there are no analogues anywhere). In this case, just focus on the price-quality ratio.

You can find the most conflicting reviews about buying groceries in fixed price stores. There are buyers who complain about the low quality of products, and there are those who, on the contrary, often buy food products at such points and are satisfied. In this case, I think you need to try and draw conclusions regarding each specific store.

How to make profitable purchases in fixed price stores?

Now let's look at a few rules, following which you can make really profitable purchases in fixed price stores.

Rule 1. Go to the store for specific items. When you already know what is sold in a particular fix price store, go there only for a specific purpose: to buy this and that.

Rule 2. Compare prices. The most important rule: you need to go to a fixed price store already knowing that the necessary goods are cheaper here than in other stores. That is, you should know the prices of other stores, and the fixed price is indicated on the window.

Rule 3. Do not buy goods at a fixed price “at the same time”. If you went for specific goods, knowing that the price for them is better here, you don’t need to collect a bunch of other things at the same time - the cost of other goods may not be so interesting, and they can be bought more profitably elsewhere. In addition, many products may simply not be necessary for you.

Where can I find fixed price stores?

Finding the addresses of fixed price stores in your city is very easy. Type in the search “fix price stores Moscow” (or your city), and the search will give you different catalogs where you can find the nearest fix price stores and even an approximate range of their products with location points marked on the map.

Now you know what fixed price stores are and why they are interesting for customers in terms of savings opportunities. Come in, compare prices, analyze and make profitable purchases.

With this I say goodbye to you. Stay tuned and receive a lot of free advice and recommendations on competent management of personal finances and family budget. See you again on the pages of the site!

Cheapness always attracts the opportunity to save money and spend money on something else. But products at low prices do not always meet all safety standards, and it is better not to waste money on your health. Therefore, you should find out in advance where the goods in the “all for 39” store come from before purchasing there. Nobody wants to bring toxic items into the house, especially when there are children in the family and concern for their health comes to the fore.

Fixed price stores

Networks with a fixed price for all goods appeared in Russia a long time ago and will exist for quite a long time:

• For some items, prices may exceed the market average, especially when it comes to food products.
• But in terms of tools and other household items, such shops have no equal; the prices for these goods are always much lower.
• Originality and low price allows you to attract enough buyers.
• But economic instability forces the price tag to change too often and, unfortunately, only upward.

It is at this moment that the question may arise in inquiring minds: “ But what is the cost of all these products, if even by selling everything for 39 rubles, the store makes a profit? ».

It should be taken into account that the final price includes advertising, rental premises, logistics services, and payment to hired personnel. It turns out that everything sold in such store chains costs pennies, but does this indicate a low level of quality?

Where do the goods on store shelves come from?

According to all modern standards, the country of origin must be indicated on any product. So you can get the answer to your question by visiting your nearest store and reading the labels. In most cases in China will be listed as the manufacturer, you can stumble upon goods from Russia, and recently - from Brazil:

1. It just so happens that right next door we have one of the most powerful industrial economies in the world with a workforce of many millions.
2. The cost of everything produced in China is not too high.
3. Even taking into account the costs of delivery and customs duties, the profit is enormous.
4. The only problem is that in China few people are interested in the quality of what is exported.
5. Our businessmen are also not always particularly conscientious; for the sake of their own benefit, they may well not notice a serious defect.

And although Rospotrebnadzor is trying to monitor the quality of products, the organization’s resources are not enough to check everyone.

And in terms of obtaining compensation and filing claims against the manufacturer, serious problems may arise. So think carefully before purchasing Chinese-made products. This country knows how to do quality work, but for good work it also demands appropriate payment. So far, not the best products are coming to our country.

Export from Latin America

Brazil and South American countries have recently among our potential friends and economic partners. So their products at low prices are gradually taking over the shelves of our stores. But the process is going too slowly and so far we can only say that:

• Such crafts are not much different from Chinese goods.
• At most, they can be considered as an alternative in case of interruptions in supplies from the Celestial Empire.
• In the technological aspect, Latin American countries have never been leaders, so most of their production is technically and morally outdated.
• There are even more problems with delivery, because in order to reach our shelves, goods need to cross the ocean.

So Russians may be interested in Brazil as an alternative resort and importer of grain crops. Otherwise, there is nothing there that cannot be found in Russia or any neighboring country.

Problems in the domestic economy

Despite the promoted theme of import substitution, there are not so many high-quality domestic goods in such stores.

All this puts our economy in a difficult situation. It cannot be called hopeless, because there are examples of states that began in much worse conditions and over the course of several decades they achieved success. But to change the economic situation and overcome the crisis, it is necessary paradigm shift in minds- a change in attitude towards domestic products, a willingness to develop something of our own rather than invest in foreign projects.

Already from such a basis you can start and do something of really high quality.

Where do the cheapest goods in stores come from?

Most of the products on the shelves of fixed-price stores come from three countries:

• China.
• Russia.
• Brazil.

This monotony is due either with a low production cost or with no duties and support for the domestic economy. Whose goods to buy is up to you. But when purchasing Russian goods, you invest every ruble in your manufacturer, leaving capital in the country.

But this does not mean that it is necessary to abandon quality goods in favor of domestic ones. Healthy competition forces companies to develop, come up with something new and constantly improve the level of quality. And it would be stupid to sacrifice your own comfort and encourage low-quality products just out of a sense of patriotism.

The times have long passed when it was better not to know where the goods in the “Everything for 39” store come from. Everything imported and sold in the Russian Federation subject to control, varying levels of thoroughness. And although there is no 100% guarantee yet, almost everything that you can find on the shelves of your nearest store is absolutely safe.

Video about products from FixPrice: Everything for 39 rubles

In this video, Alena will talk about her purchases at the FixPrice store, how she bought 8 products for 39 rubles, and what quality they are:

Fix Price stores, where everything can be bought for 43 rubles (and once it was 36 rubles), are confidently taking over Karelia. But while in Europe, fixed-price stores, where everything can be bought, for example, for 5 euros, are already commonplace, our people are still wary of this phenomenon and are fully confident that they only sell all sorts of unnecessary junk. To dispel (or, conversely, confirm) this myth, we decided to visit one of these stores, rummage through things and find out what good things can be bought for 43 rubles these days.

But first, a little history. According to the popular publication Sobaka.ru, fixed-price department stores were invented in America in the second half of the nineteenth century. The author of the concept was Frank Woolworth with his “empire of small things” five-and-dime store with household goods and clothing for only five and ten cents. Even the smallest coins have the ability to accumulate and grow into a fortune - this is the main principle of Woolworth. By 1919, his “five-cent empire” consisted of more than a thousand stores in the United States, Canada and England, and Woolworth’s fortune was sixty million dollars.

In Russia, the first Fix Price stores began to appear in 2007, and they were opened by the creators of the popular “Tsentroobuv” Sergey Lomakin and Artem Khachatryan. And since then they have already opened 1,744 Fix Price stores. They say that now, in the midst of the crisis, the fix price format has found a second wind. But there is one “but”: the range here is so extensive and varied ( The Fix Price network literally sells everything - stewed food, lipstick, and car products) that you want to buy literally everything: those candies, a funny shower cap, and a pink flower pot.

But the quality of goods is not always the best. Therefore, experts advise going to such stores with specific lists or at least a clear idea of ​​what you need to buy and why. Otherwise, you will probably fill your basket with various unnecessary but cute little things, and in the end you will not only not save, but also spend extra money. Here are the 10 things that we personally noticed in one of the Petrozavodsk Fix Price stores.

Goods for pets

All pet owners know how much a dog toy or a cat bowl costs these days. In a specialized pet supply store for less than 150-200 rubles, it’s unlikely that you can buy even the most stale ball. And here are toys for every taste, and everything else your pet might need - from a comb to a blanket, a leash and a collar. And even food in packs also costs 43 rubles. We won’t recommend it, because animal feed is exactly what you shouldn’t skimp on. And everything else is of quite decent quality.

Food

Regarding the same stew, of course, the issue is controversial - for 43 rubles it can hardly be what we want to see it (we are talking about stew from fixed price stores). So in this case, it’s better not to chase cheapness. But the same corn flakes, muesli and all kinds of sweets can hardly be spoiled much. You can safely take them - we tried them ourselves and were quite pleased with both the taste and quality. It's the same story with tea and coffee.

Diaries and notepads

For 43 rubles you sometimes get very cute and funny little things. Not a Moleskine, of course, but for such a price the design is very interesting.

Cute trinkets, souvenirs and decor

Of course, there is plenty of this goodness in all Fix Price stores. Photo frames, pictures, figurines, toys and much more. Please note that the assortment in different chain stores is also different. Somewhere one product may not be available, but there is something else. Well, a housewife with imagination will always figure out how best to fit even the most inexpensive trinket into the interior.

Women things

This is a real treat for girls and women who love to please themselves with cute little things. And a flirty shower cap, and pocket mirrors and cosmetic bags, and nail files, and combs, and sleep masks, and bath massagers. Everything is bright and cheerful. Decorative There are also cosmetics in the chain of fixed-price stores, but we won’t recommend them, although everything seems decent.

Household products

Soap dispensers, all kinds of bright kitchen utensils, knives, as well as towels, dishes, cutting boards. Suitable for both gift and personal use. Covers for clothes and hangers in the household too will always come in handy.

For travel and car

Wipes for car interiors, a pillow and a sleep mask, which will certainly be useful for avid travelers and simply lovers of comfort, as well as scrapers, fragrances and rags for cars. Cheap and cheerful.

Household chemicals

All the same detergents, air fresheners and toothpastes that we are used to, only at a fixed price. True, most of the products are not very well-known and promoted companies; they are not advertised on TV.

Goods for the holiday

It is clear that you are unlikely to find the complete works of Dostoevsky here. But you can easily buy children’s books, dictionaries or detective stories for the road.

Well, now a little about what you shouldn’t buy in Fix Price stores. Firstly, perishable products. Secondly, cosmetics, although if you are not afraid of cheap shampoos and lip glosses, then you can take the risk. Thirdly, things that may cost less in other stores. For example, chewing gum or wet wipes - it’s somehow stupid to pay a fixed 43 rubles for them. Here are the recommendations given by customers who regularly visit the Fix Price store.

- IN In general, of course, it is better to go to this store knowing the prices, because some products are overpriced, and some are quite cheap. For example, I bought spices there in tubes (with holes in the top); in my nearest store such spices cost 100 rubles, but there they cost 39.

I do not recommend taking utensils made of plastic, because it is unknown what quality it is. I once bought a plastic cutting board, it turned out to be very smelly, and even after a month the smell didn’t go away, so I had to throw it away. There was also a strange thing with ceramic mugs: one mug still serves me, but the second one burst when I poured boiling water into it.

Children's toys break quickly. I really liked the peeling gloves, they turned out to be very good, I’ve been using them for almost a year now, they are still intact, they have replaced all my washcloths and scrubs. I wanted to buy another pair like this, but Fix Price doesn’t sell them anymore.There are some good stickers for the interior, the quality is good, and the price is much lower than similar ones.Ceramic flower pots are also beautiful and high quality and are cheap; in other stores similar pots cost from 150 rubles.

The dishes are sometimes very expensive, for example, a wine glass for 39 rubles. I bought 6 pieces of good quality glasses at Ikea for 169 rubles (a glass costs less than 30 rubles). So the low price there is sometimes deceiving. By the way, about food: at first I was afraid to buy food there, but then I saw that the same producers were found in other stores, only the prices were different. For example, I liked apricot jam.

— Stationery (pencils, crayons, pens, good large sets are sold, excellent notebooks are available), household goods like bowls, plates, spoons and forks. Previously, there were wonderful perfumes “Flowers of Russia” on sale, but, alas, they disappeared; they were much cheaper than in other stores. Household chemicals are profitable, but not all, some are not of the same quality (I buy products for cleaning windows, floors, etc.)

— Fix Price actually has some good and useful things. Sometimes you come across good, high-quality books, especially for children, towels for the kitchen, some cosmetics and hygiene products you can take, I also really liked a liter of pomegranate juice (I like it sour), good spices and tea (with strawberries, mint), gadgets for the kitchen , tea jars and dry foods.

— I really like the salad bowls there, and in general the dishes are nice, I always buy fabric softener there too. There are also discounts on canned food, when you can buy 3 cans for 43 rubles. take. I think pomegranate juice is also cheap, and natural juices also come in 2 liter boxes for the same price. In general, I go there for all sorts of trinkets and interior decorations :)

One of my friends called these cookies “Oreos for poor people.” This description seems rude to me, but rather truthful: Turkish Chello cookies are really an analogue of the famous American chocolate cookies with cream, only they cost exactly four times cheaper than a pack in the ABC of Taste: 43 rubles versus 162. It’s convenient to remember because in the Fix Price network of stores with fixed prices, approximately everything costs 43 rubles: from products and gifts for March 8 (simple vases, boxes and candles) to the “Electrical goods” section (flashlights, phone stands). The counters of night markets in Delhi and Hong Kong are filled with this goodness. How can it be that exactly these goods are now solemnly sold in the very center of Moscow, in the Fix Price store on Tverskaya, 7 - in the most beautiful building of the Central Telegraph?

The matter is not limited to mail alone: ​​the Fix Price network, invented by the creators of Kopeika and Tsentrobuv Artem Khachatryan and Sergei Lomakin, appeared in 2007. The global financial crisis did not stop the company’s growth: within a year, businessmen opened 60 new outlets and became profitable. By 2014, there were 1,700 stores operating under the Fix Price brand in Russia, 95 of which were in Moscow. The company expects that by the end of 2015 the number of Fix Price signs throughout Russia will increase to 1,950.

Who invented fixed price stores?

Single-price stores appeared in the second half of the 19th century. The author of the format is considered to be Frank Woolworth, an American entrepreneur who opened the largest retail chain of his time, F.W. Woolworth Co. In 1878, Woolworth opened the first Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store in Utica, New York, selling household goods and clothing for five and ten cents. The store quickly closed, but a year later Frank took risks again, this time successfully - in Lancaster his store was received with a bang. In addition to the one-price format, F.W. Woolworth Co were the first to try free display of goods (competitors hid goods under the counter), hung price tags and made discounts on certain product categories. If initially the founder of the chain was counting on a poor audience, he soon realized that his stores were visited by representatives of all segments of the population.

Today, the largest chain in this format is the American Dollar Tree, which offers its visitors goods for a dollar or less. Founded in 1986, the company has managed to open more than five thousand locations in the USA and Canada. The presentation of the Russian Fix Price also includes other foreign chains that have set an example for Russian entrepreneurs: the American 99 Cents Only, the Canadian Dollarama and Dollar It, the Japanese Daiso, the English Poundland and the German Eurosho.

Photo: Fix Price press service

Fix Price educational videos are reminiscent of the best stories from “Shop on the Couch”: for example, an introduction to the diverse and wonderful world of hairpins for 43 rubles

How to buy in a crisis

Despite the positive attitude of Fix Price representatives, some experts are confident that the middle class is not ready to switch to unknown goods for 43 rubles.

“Consumer habits in relation to food and household details are difficult to change - you will not stop using your favorite shampoo, it’s just that toothpaste, soap, shampoos and food products will account for not 10% of your income, but 15%. They will save on items of long-term demand - they will be less likely to change furniture, cars, buy expensive clothes or expensive tours,” says Andrey Purtov, co-founder of the branding company ArtGraphics.ru. He explains his position this way: “It’s easier to deprive yourself of one big joy than twenty small ones.”

“For people accustomed to a certain lifestyle, switching to products from unknown manufacturers will be too difficult. Thoughts will appear: “How is it that I’m a poor man now?” - says Natalya Smirnova, General Director of the Personal Advisor company.

Managing partner of the branding agency Depot WPF, Alexey Andreev, believes that the Fix Price network has just managed to outwit consumers with a similar mindset. “Fix Price is structured in such a way that it achieves commercial results, but does not offend the mass consumer. This mechanism works especially noticeably in conditions of an unstable economy: the buyer is looking for more profitable solutions for himself and painfully does not want to admit his poverty,” the expert argues.

According to him, today's Fix Price stores look decent, offer a decent selection and are perceived almost like an ordinary supermarket. Buyers believe that the goods presented on the shelves at Fix Price have the most fair price, and sometimes even somehow underestimated. “And this doesn’t bother anyone. Now you need to be a thrifty owner, spend money wisely. Very different people come to fixed-price stores, but their motive is the same: it’s interesting, I like this game, I accept its terms, and the prices are convincing. And note - not a word about poverty, financial collapse and the difficult fate of the downed pilot,” concludes Andreev.

For people with low incomes, one-price stores are a gift. Consumers who want to save money and do not pay attention to brands are a mass audience that will run to Fix Price in the near future, if they have not already done so. Such buyers will be interested in Fix Price today not only because of the low price, but also because of the stability that everyone so lacks.

“When people are afraid that the price at the store next to their window will double in the morning, fixed-price stores remain the only island of calm. People like that they know exactly at what price they can buy something in the store tomorrow,” says Smirnova.

Nevertheless, the prices of this chain are also rising - but not as sharply and strongly as in other stores. If the American ancestors of Fix Price have kept the price in dollars for several years, then the Russian discounter cannot take such a step: inflation in Russia is too high. In 2007, the chain's products cost only 30 rubles. Since September 2008, the price increased to 35 rubles, and in 2010 - to 36. In June last year, prices were raised from 38 to 39 rubles, and in November - to 40. Now the fixed price is 43 rubles, although there is still a week left cost 41 rubles.

What to buy at Fix Price for 43 rubles: Afisha-Gorod's choice

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  Frying pan

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  Cake tins

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  Fake caviar

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  Strawberry core and tail remover

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  Myafli, that is, “soft waffles”

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  Pocket comb

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  Shaving foam

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  Party glasses

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  Ceramic knife

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  Soda

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  Pillowcase

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  Set of bags for cleaning up after dogs

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  Lamp

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  History of Russia in five books

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  Surprise toy “Funny Ice Cream”

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  Waffles “Mom's palms”

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  Chalks for hair coloring

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  Sugar bowl

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  Note board

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  Bicycle horn

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  Wrist reminder notes

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  Dog toy “Ring”

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  Perpetual calendar made of cubes

“Before you go to this store, determine what you can buy there and what you cannot. Today you buy a cheaper electronic toothbrush, and tomorrow it will break. As a result, you will give more than in another store where the goods are of better quality. Fix Price is good for saving on everyday goods,” advises Smirnova.

“The main idea of ​​the Fix Price project is a store with a wide range of household goods for the whole family,” says the company’s website. Fix Price mainly sells household goods, household chemicals, hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes, and only 20% of goods are food. Moreover, 70% of all things are imported. The bulk is imported from China. In Russia they buy all food products - those that are stored for a long time: beer, juices, tea, canned food, snacks, etc. In today's economic conditions, a food assortment helps create a flow of customers in the store - especially in the regions. On Tuesday evening there was a line in the store on Tverskaya: in the baskets of middle-aged women there were five packs of dry goods, men in leather jackets - seven cans of beer and eight packs of chips.

In total, there are about 2 thousand different items on the Fix Price shelves. The Best Price company imports goods from China on its own: without intermediaries, it comes out cheaper. In search of the cheapest offers, you have to thoroughly study the markets of different countries: you need to bring something not just suitable for the price, but the cheapest in its category - however, if the product sells poorly, it is immediately rejected.

Who else sells everything for 40?

The single-price store format also attracts other players in the market. The Zaodno chain is actively developing, which already has ten stores in Moscow, but plans to open another 740 points throughout Russia by 2020. In this chain, 27% of the goods are food, and the rest are household goods, household chemicals, cosmetics and perfumes, hygiene products, and clothing. On the price tags of the Zaodno store you can find three numbers: 33, 55 and 99. Representatives of the largest Russian retailer, the Magnit chain, also spoke about their desire to try out the single price format: the new format will be tested in cosmetics and household chemicals stores Magnit Cosmetics, where they will ask for 33 rubles for goods. Another network that fixes the price is called “Matryoshka” - it sells gifts, watches, accessories, electrical goods, bedding and bath accessories and other inedible little things at five prices: 29, 70, 170, 270 and 470 rubles.

CEO of the Fix Price network

“We import goods from those countries where it is profitable to transport: from China, Asia and Europe. Not a single item in our assortment falls under the category of sanctioned goods. Until November-December last year, until the euro exchange rate rose to its maximum, we imported goods from Spain, Italy, Holland, Germany, and Belgium. These were mainly food products with which the country of origin is associated: Italian pasta and tomatoes, Spanish canned food, Dutch, German and Polish confectionery. Now we work mainly with Russian manufacturers. I would not call this a replacement, it’s just that due to the strong jump in the exchange rate, we are not yet able to offer these products to our customers. This does not mean that they will not return to the shelves at all.

We are forced to raise prices, but we do it last and still try to keep the lowest price on the market. What is an increase in price by 2 rubles when the dollar doubles and inflation is 15% in two months? We insured all our risks. For the long term, we signed contracts to purchase currency at the old rate.

We work in an industry where customers are not very dependent on brands. We do not sell consumer electronics or fashion clothing. In food products and household chemicals, there is an attachment only to very well-known international brands, for example Pepsi, Cola, Colgate. The rest of the products - cups, spoons, frames - are chosen by our customers based on their consumer properties, not the brand.

Products made in China are available in all stores, not just ours. The same manufacturers of household appliances and electronics produce a large share of their goods in China. It doesn’t matter which country you buy from, what matters is which manufacturer. We need to find a manufacturer who makes quality goods under the best commercial conditions - that’s what we do. We create our own brands, our own brands.

We try to bring unique products - those that you will not find on the shelves of other stores. Obviously everyone sells plates, coasters, socks and hats, but we try to look for unique plate designs. We are constantly looking for so-called fenki to diversify our assortment - we were once the first to bring silicone tea bags and Murashka massagers. Several years ago, we sold about ten containers of these Murashka massagers before the New Year - we swept them all off the shelves for gifts, like bread in times of famine. However, we are not only the first to find, but also to obtain the required price from suppliers.

Our audience is very wide and now accounts for about 70% of the country's population. In my opinion, our range can satisfy the needs of any family by 70-80%. We don’t sell, of course, boots, clothes and bicycles, but now Russian families probably don’t buy such goods.”